The MSC Student Conference on National Affairs, SCONA, and the U.S. Army War College will host a simulated “real world” crisis involving students representing multiple nations from around the world. Students will have the opportunity to negotiate through a crisis in an international conflict zone.
The International Strategic Crisis Negotiation Exercise, ISCNE, will be held in the Memorial Student Center on Feb. 16 to Feb. 17 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The exercise is a closed event only open to registered delegates.
The event is a scenario driven, two-day exercise put on by the U.S. Army War College and is usually reserved for graduate schools, said Felix Perez, public relations director for ISCNE. However, Texas A&M is one of the few undergraduate institutions that has been given the opportunity to participate in this event. Each year there is a crisis that has to be resolved. Within the exercise there will be seven represented nations with about 60 participants who will have to solve the crisis.
“Each nation is briefed by their respective country’s foreign minister who in actuality is a representative from the U.S. army War College and will be given a list of criteria that their country has to highlight and take into consideration throughout the negotiations,” Perez said.
The countries that will be represented in this exercise range from Armenia, Turkey, the United States, Iran and more.
ISCNE will also attract a wide range of diplomatic individuals. Most notable are Congressman Bill Flores, dean of the Bush School Ryan Crocker and former U.S. Ambassador Larry Napper, who will be present during the time of the ISCNE. Napper served as co-leader of the Iraqi Governance Assessment Team. His expertise will have a large influence on the exercise, Perez said.
“Napper’s presence at the event adds to the legitimacy of the exercise itself,” Perez said. “We try to make the event as realistic as possible.”
The exercise is also an opportunity for students to further themselves in their careers, even if they are not interested in going into the military. Students will learn valuable skills that are essential in all aspects of life, said Perez.
“It is not the specific content that you lean, but is more about getting to work within a team trying to solve an issue,” Perez said. “We try to reach out to all degrees because it lets you work with people you do not know and is a good reflection of what you can experience in a career of having to problem solve and work as a team.”
For students interested in more information pertaining to the conference they can track the event on the Conference’s Facebook page, “MSC Student on Conference on National Affairs,” or on Twitter at @MSCSCONA_61.
